Most optical-to-electrical and electrical-to-optical modules used in the various communications fields, are incorporated into packages containing one or more pairs of optical-to-electrical and electrical-to-optical modules. The modules are generally used in pairs for two-way communication and multiple pairs may be incorporated in a single package to provide multiple communication channels. Generally, one of the major problems in this industry is the transmission of light from the optical fiber to a light receiving device or the transmission of light from a light generating device to the optical fiber without being affected by assembly tolerances, temperature changes, component changes, and the like. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the term “light” is a generic term that includes any electromagnetic radiation that can be modulated and transmitted by optical fibers or other optical transmission lines.
Here it will be understood that the optoelectric modules are used to communicate between an optical fiber and an optoelectric device, such as a light source (e.g. a laser, light emitting diode, etc.) generally referred to as a transmission module, or between an optical fiber and a light receiving device (e.g. a photodiode, PIN diode, PN diode, etc.) generally referred to as a receiving module. In this disclosure both transmission and receiving modules or packages are referred to generically as optoelectric modules or packages and the term “optoelectric” is intended to encompass both optical-to-electrical and electrical-to-optical.
Generally, one of the problems with optoelectric packages is the amount of time and effort required in the fabrication and assembly. Another problem that arises is that much of the time and effort in assembly and mounting is applied in alignment of the various components so that light generated by, for example a laser, reaches the core of an optical fiber and light emanating from an optical fiber must be directed onto a photodiode or the like. To overcome many of these problems, the industry has generally provided multiple communication channels in a single package. However, there are many applications in which discrete components or packages are useful and/or desirable.